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need a loach to erradicate snails

3537 Views 8 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  Lupin, 
S
My tank has become overrun with snails! The awful little beasties have covered nearly every surface with snail poo that I can't clean fast enough. Here are the specs on the tank:

Size: 55g
Temp: 80*
pH: 6.5
Arrangement: heavily planted with swords, vallisneria, sagittaria, java ferns, wisteria, anubias barteri var. nana, R. rotundifolia, java moss, microsorium, crypts, & Christmas moss. Hope to soon add some hygrophila, perhaps corymbosa or polysperma. Also includes several pieces of driftwood.
Substrate: 50/50 mix of gravel and Fluorite
Inhabitants: 1 large angelfish, 12 black neon tetras, 2 otocinclus catfish, unknown # of cherry shrimp

I've never kept loaches before so I don't know what my options are. All I know is that they are generally very active I will need at least 3 in order for them to be happy. Are there any that stay relatively small? I want to get some more angels and I don't want the poor things to be stressed out by a bunch of big boisterous loaches bouncing around. Also would my precious little cherry shrimp be safe or would they become dinner too?

Thanks :)
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Lupin
Hi Soco.:wave:

I'd be very careful with the loaches as some of them can consume your plants. The likely victims are your crypts, swords, Javan moss, Christmas moss, rotala and wisteria.

Try Botia kubotai or Botia striata. Botia almorhae are also good options if you like.:) Your angels will not be bothered. It is the cherry shrimps I'm worried of as loaches can develop a taste for shrimps. Besides they do eat invertebrates. Botia sidthimunki stay to 2 inches and are great with cherry shrimps although they are more costly than the previous three.
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Lupin
miagrrl said:
yoyos are good snail eaters
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All botiine loaches are.
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